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Cassava Technologies and Rockefeller Foundation Expand Access to Artificial Intelligence Computing to African Non-Governmental Organizations (NGO)

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Cassava Technologies

Cassava Technologies (Cassava) (www.CassavaTechnologies.com) and The Rockefeller Foundation announced a new effort to harness the transformative potential of artificial intelligence (AI) for good across Africa. Cassava, which previously announced plans to build Africa’s first AI factory powered with NVIDIA AI infrastructure, will provide access to compute capacity to several The Rockefeller Foundation’s grantees working in Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Liberia, Nigeria, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, and Zimbabwe.

 

While enabling Africa’s full participation in the US$1.2 trillion projected AI economy (http://apo-opa.co/3XEsfHC), this collaboration will boost productivity and power innovation at African organizations that are improving lives and livelihoods across the continent.

“AI presents Africa with one of the best opportunities to drive economic development and access to economic opportunity for the continent’s youth. This requires investment in ensuring that AI developers across Africa have the resources and platforms to create solutions to Africa’s unique challenges. Powered by NVIDIA AI infrastructure, our AI factory will enable startups, enterprises, the public sector, and educational institutions to focus on developing AI applications using local datasets, languages, models, and voices to build inclusive solutions. We are excited to partner with the Rockefeller Foundation to bring local compute capacity to Africa’s AI ecosystem,” said Hardy Pemhiwa, President and Group CEO of Cassava Technologies.

While nearly one-in-five people worldwide lives in Africa, the continent currently has less than 1% (http://apo-opa.co/48gsdvP) of global data center capacity. Africa’s AI market, which is currently estimated at $5.17 billion, is expected to grow exponentially over the next decade. Locally accessible computing capacity is necessary to power Africa’s AI ambitions.

“AI can be transformative in the right hands, contributing to healthier communities, more productive farmers, and better education for children. If we get AI right in Africa, we can help Africans create jobs, advance opportunity, and pursue their dreams. Our collaboration with Cassava reflects The Rockefeller Foundation’s foundational belief that the latest advances in science and technology should serve everyone, not just the fortunate few, and that includes empowering African innovators with the tools they need to shape the continent’s future,” said Dr. Rajiv J. Shah, President of The Rockefeller Foundation.

Through this new collaboration, Cassava and The Rockefeller Foundation are ensuring that  African-led innovations in agriculture, healthcare, and education sectors have resources to improve outcomes with AI. Initial organizations that will benefit from this new collaboration include:

Our vision is simple but bold: to put the power of AI directly in the hands of every farmer, helping them grow more resilient, prosperous, and connected to the future

  • Digital Green, a company using AI in Ethiopia and Kenya to empower smallholder farmers with localized, real-time agricultural advice that increases productivity, resilience, and growth.

 

“Farmer.Chat, Digital Green’s AI assistant, is reimagining how smallholder farmers access knowledge—delivering trusted, localised guidance at nearly 100x lower cost than traditional extension. With GPUs now available on the African continent, we can unlock breakthroughs in speech-to-text, local language translation, image recognition, and retrieval-augmented generation—dramatically reducing costs and expanding reach. This new capacity makes it possible to bring climate-smart, real-time advice to millions of farmers, while continuously improving accuracy, safety, and support for Africa’s diverse languages and agricultural ecologies. Our vision is simple but bold: to put the power of AI directly in the hands of every farmer, helping them grow more resilient, prosperous, and connected to the future.”  Rikin Gandhi, CEO, Digital Green

  • Jacaranda Health, which is harnessing technology to improve the quality of care for mothers and their children in Kenya.

 

“Jacaranda Health is deploying AI-powered tools that connect millions of mothers and babies with life-saving care in real-time. Access to advanced compute resources on the continent will accelerate our development of culturally-attuned, multilingual AI models while slashing costs—enabling us to reach millions of women with critical health information in their native languages. This infrastructure will prevent maternal deaths, empower informed healthcare decisions, and build Africa’s capacity to solve its own health challenges with homegrown AI innovation.” — Cynthia Kahumbura, Co-Executive Director, Jacaranda Health.

  • Rising Academies, a West African company leveraging technology to improve outcomes for more than 250,000 students in Ghana, Liberia, Rwanda, and Sierra Leone.

 

“In just one academic year, we’ve seen how AI can reshape learning in Rwanda’s classrooms. More than 13,000 students gained access to structured literacy and numeracy content, teachers cut grading time by 60% through LearnLens, and 85% of learners told us they enjoy using Rori to strengthen their math skills. One student in rural Rwanda told us that technology is no longer just for city children, but for those of us in rural areas as well. Our vision is clear: to make effective, inclusive, and locally relevant learning support available to every child—helping them thrive today and shape the future of our country.” — Fidele Hagenimana, Head of Rwanda Programs, Rising Academies.

This year, Cassava launched its GPU-as-a-Service (GPUaaS), housed in its secure data center facilities, powered by NVIDIA AI infrastructure. The company continues to invest in the infrastructure across additional hubs in East, West and North Africa; thereby reinforcing its broader commitment to responsible AI adoption, innovation and productivity growth in Africa. The collaboration highlights Cassava’s commitment to ensuring that GPUaas is accessible to organizations working throughout the social sector.

“Cassava’s collaborations with key stakeholders are critically important to the development of Africa’s AI ecosystem to ensure that Africans are not just consumers of AI, but builders of it. This partnership with The Rockefeller Foundation highlights Cassava’s intent to lay the foundations for an ecosystem that is inclusive, sustainable, and globally competitive,” concluded Hardy.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Cassava Technologies.

Energy

High-Level Minister Roundup to Headline African Energy Week 2026

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African Energy Chamber

African Energy Week 2026 will convene ministers from Algeria, Ghana, Senegal, Zambia and Niger to spotlight oil, gas expansion, reforms and investment opportunities continentwide

CAPE TOWN, South Africa, March 13, 2026/APO Group/ –A high-level ministerial roundup will take center stage at this year’s African Energy Week (AEW) 2026 – taking place in Cape Town from 12–16 October –, convening some of the continent’s most influential energy leaders at a defining moment for Africa’s oil, gas and power sectors. As hydrocarbon expansion converges with accelerating energy transition strategies, the gathering is set to spotlight real-time project execution, regulatory reform and cross-border infrastructure that are actively reshaping Africa’s energy future.

 

Confirmed ministers to date include Algeria’s Minister of Energy and Renewable Energies Mourad Adjal, Ghana’s Minister for Energy and Green Transition Dr. John Abdulai Jinapor, Senegal’s Minister of Energy, Petroleum and Mines Birame Soulèye Diop, Zambia’s Minister of Energy Makozo Chikote and Niger’s Minster of Petroleum Hamadou Tinni.

 

Fresh from a March OPEC+ decision to lift output to 977,000 barrels of oil per day (bpd), Algeria enters AEW 2026 amid a $60 billion sector transformation. The country is also advancing a 500-well exploration drive and accelerating its 1.48 GW “Project of the Century” solar rollout. Gas exports to Europe remains central to the country, supported by hydrogen corridor planning and refinery expansion aimed at boosting capacity to 50 million tons by 2029.

 

Following license extension for Jubilee and TEN to 2040 and the late-2025 restart of the Tema Oil Refinery, Ghana is pushing a $3.5 billion upstream reinvestment plan while settling $500 million in gas arrears. A 1,200 MW state thermal plant and expanded gas processing at Atuabo anchor its gas-to-power shift, alongside a renewed upstream push in the Voltaian Basin.

The participation of these distinguished ministers underscores the scale of opportunity unfolding across Africa’s energy landscape and the urgency of aligning policy with capital

 

Senegal’s delegation comes on the back of strong production momentum, with the Sangomar oil field delivering 36.1 million barrels in 2025, outperforming forecasts, while the Greater Tortue Ahmeyim LNG development ramped up to 2.9 million tons per annum following first gas. Dakar is now prioritizing domestic gas through refinery upgrades at the SAR refinery and preparations for Sangomar Phase 2 to push output beyond 100,000 bpd.

 

Zambia is redefining its power mix after drought-induced hydro shortfalls. New solar capacity – including the 200 MW Chisamba expansion and 136 MW Itimpi Phase 2 – is part of a broader 2,500 MW diversification drive. Cabinet has approved major regional fuel pipelines, while the Energy Single Licensing System fast-tracks approvals. Lusaka targets 10 GW generation by 2030, with solar and wind rising to one-third of supply.

Niger’s presence reflects its emergence as a serious oil exporter, with the fully operational 1,950-km Niger-Benin pipeline now moving up to 90,000 bpd to international markets. Alongside uranium expansion and renewed cooperation with Algeria on upstream assets, Niamey is advancing digital oversight reforms and reinforcing energy sovereignty amid evolving geopolitical dynamics.

 

“The participation of these distinguished ministers underscores the scale of opportunity unfolding across Africa’s energy landscape and the urgency of aligning policy with capital,” says NJ Ayuk, Executive Chairman, African Energy Chamber. “Their leadership reflects a continent moving decisively from strategy to execution, creating a platform where investors can engage directly with the policymakers shaping Africa’s next wave of oil, gas and energy growth.”

 

At AEW 2026, this ministerial cohort will be well-positioned to offer investors direct insight into Africa’s most dynamic energy markets – where new barrels, new pipelines and new megawatts are reshaping regional growth trajectories in real time.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of African Energy Chamber.

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Business

Enlit Africa 2026 Programme: 280+ speakers, African nuclear 2.0, Bruce Whitfield Business Breakfast

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Enlit Africa

The event, taking place 19-21 May 2026 at the Cape Town International Convention Centre, expects 7,200+ attendees and 250+ exhibitors, making it Africa’s largest gathering of energy and water professionals

CAPE TOWN, South Africa, March 12, 2026/APO Group/ –Enlit Africa (https://apo-opa.co/4cEX08g) has released its full 2026 conference programme, featuring 280+ speakers across 8 specialised tracks including a new African Nuclear 2.0 session covering Koeberg’s 20-year life extension and Ghana’s nuclear vendor selection process.

 

The event, taking place 19-21 May 2026 at the Cape Town International Convention Centre, expects 7,200+ attendees and 250+ exhibitors, making it Africa’s largest gathering of energy and water professionals.

Award-winning business journalist and best-selling author Bruce Whitfield will deliver the opening address at the Project & Investment Network Business Breakfast on 19 May, kicking off three days of strategic sessions, deal-making platforms, and technical masterclasses.

New programme content includes:

African Nuclear 2.0 – A dedicated session examining the transition from planning to execution, featuring:

Koeberg Nuclear Power Station’s successful 20-year life extension (Units 1 and 2 now licensed until 2044/2045)

Ghana’s progression to Phase 3 of its nuclear programme, evaluating US, Chinese, and Russian technology bids

West African Power Pool‘s 10 GW regional nuclear capacity target

Small Modular Reactor (SMR) deployment readiness across African grids

Independent Transmission Projects (ITP) – A new session exploring how private investment is unlocking Africa’s transmission bottleneck, featuring global case studies from India’s PowerGrid and lessons for scaling grid capacity across the continent.

Generation Masterclasses – Five interactive roundtables on gas-to-power, nuclear, hydro power, clean coal, and hydrogen.

AI in Africa’s Power Grid – Examining practical deployment realities, real-time analytics, and predictive maintenance applications already in operation across African utilities.

Conference sessions and technical hub sessions on the expo floor are CPD-accredited by the South African Institute of Electrical Engineers (SAIEE) and the South African Institution of Civil Engineering (SAICE).

Co-located platforms:

Water Security Africa features country playbooks from Namibia (55-year potable reuse programme), Uganda (NRW reduction from 42% to 32%), Cape Town (Day Zero recovery strategies), and sector-specific stewardship sessions with Harmony Gold, Heineken, Mediclinic, and Growthpoint Properties.

Project & Investment Network (P&IN), part of the new Level 2 Executive Experience, connects project developers, investors, African utility CEOs, and DFIs through structured matchmaking, ministerial dialogues, and project briefings. Over the past two years, P&IN has facilitated $3 billion in project pitches.

Utility CEO Forum brings together 35+ confirmed utility CEOs under Chatham House Rule for candid, off-the-record strategic discussions on unbundling, prosumer management, and financial sustainability.

Municipal Forum addresses South African municipalities’ distribution, metering, and revenue challenges, including sessions on NRW management, tariff reform, Cost of Supply studies, and electrifying informal settlements.

Technical Hub sessions on the exhibition floor offer free, CPD-accredited training across Power, Renewable Energy & Storage, and Water tracks, with confirmed speakers from Eskom, ENGIE SA, ACTOM, National Transmission Company South Africa (NTCSA), RenEnergy, and Matla Energy.

Site visits on 22 May include Koeberg Nuclear Power Station and the V&A Waterfront desalination plant.

Pass options:
Free expo pass registration: https://apo-opa.co/4bl2bYu

Free expo passes provide access to 250+ exhibitors and CPD-accredited Technical Hub sessions.

Delegate Pass:
Early bird registration closes 3 April 2026. Delegate passes start at R15,100 (Silver), with P&IN Executive passes at R32,000 including access to the Bruce Whitfield breakfast, Level 2 executive lounge, and investor matchmaking.

Download the full programme: https://apo-opa.co/3NwCble

Register: https://apo-opa.co/4cEX08g

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of VUKA Group.

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Business

Binance Secures Second Major Legal Victory in U.S. Court Under Anti-Terrorism Act in Two Weeks

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Binance

US Federal Court in Alabama Dismisses All Claims Against Binance in Latest Lawsuit Victory

JOHANNESBURG, South Africa, March 12, 2026/APO Group/ –Binance (www.Binance.com), the world’s largest cryptocurrency exchange, announced today that a U.S. federal court in Alabama has dismissed all claims against the company in a lawsuit alleging violations of the Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA). This marks Binance’s second major legal victory in an  ATA matter within one week, following their victory in the Southern District of New York.

A Full and Complete Legal Victory

In a detailed 19-page ruling, the Court found the plaintiffs’ complaint to be legally and factually deficient. The court’s decision to dismiss every claim across the board represents a decisive legal victory for Binance.

Sanctions compliance and terrorism financing are serious matters of law – they require evidence, legal rigour, and due process

The judge described the filing as a “shotgun pleading.” The complaint failed to clearly specify the claims and improperly grouped all defendants together without distinguishing individual conduct or liability. The ruling also emphasized that the plaintiffs did not meet the basic pleading standard to provide a “short and plain statement” of their claims.

Following the ruling, the court granted the plaintiffs until April 10, 2026, to file an amended complaint addressing the deficiencies identified. However, the judge warned that failure to adequately address these issues would result in dismissal of the entire case.

Building on Momentum and Upholding Legal Integrity

“This decision reinforces our unwavering commitment to protecting Binance and our community from unsubstantiated and bad-faith lawsuits,” shared Eleanor Hughes, General Counsel at Binance. “Sanctions compliance and terrorism financing are serious matters of law – they require evidence, legal rigour, and due process. Courts have now examined these claims on two separate occasions and found them to be without merit. These outcomes speak for themselves. We will not tolerate attempts to misuse the legal system to target our industry, and we remain as committed as ever to transparency, security, and lawful conduct in everything we do”.

This latest decision follows closely on the heels of Binance’s comprehensive victory in New York (https://apo-opa.co/46Xg0ev), where the Court similarly rejected allegations that the company assisted, participated in, or conspired with terrorists. Together, these rulings reflect Binance’s strong resolve to protect its platform and community.

Binance has consistently invested in industry-leading compliance infrastructure, regulatory engagement, and legal governance. The company will continue to vigorously defend itself against any attempts to bring unfounded claims or misrepresent its operations.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Binance.

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